What are the differences between the Crestron AirMedia and BenQ InstaShow WDC15?

The InstaShow WDC15 is designed to install right out of the box in less than 10 minutes without IT support. To set up, simply connect the receiver to a projector or display, and place the two InstaShow buttons into the tabletop holder. It is now ready to use. Testing by the publication My Tech Decisions indicated it took only a few minutes to connect and use. This hardware-only approach enables InstaShow to handle both presentation and video content using the InstaShow buttons without any changes or performance impact on the local network.

Figure 1- The InstaShow is simple to set up. Just plug in your display to the HDMI port - and the USB port if you have an interactive touchscreen display.

Setting up the Crestron AirMedia Receiver 3000 is more complicated than the BenQ InstaShow. First, has to be set up on the company network to be able to enable presenters to transmit their information to the display. Prior to deploying AirMedia products, Crestron recommends assessing the network infrastructure and design to ensure satisfactory performance. There is a 14-section guide on how to set up the unit, with a lot of elements that need to be configured, including the optional AirMedia Connect Adaptor which has to be paired to the receiver and network. The setup for this receiver is similar for other models of the AirMedia receivers offered by Crestron.

For example, the Crestron AirMedia requires over a dozen network ports that need to be configured, along with network bandwidth requirements to enable it to display smooth videos on the system. For example, you need up to 8.5mb per second for 1080p content at 30 frames per second, and they recommend upgrading the quality-of-service features on switches and routers to prioritize AirMedia traffic (meaning lower performance for something else). There are several other options to configure, such as optional Crestron Cloud support, specific user profiles, and you can integrate this with Crestron’s control systems. This complexity typically means that someone in IT will be responsible for setting this up, while InstaShow can be set up by anyone without having to touch the corporate network.

The InstaShow is the most guest friendly wireless presentation of the two. The guest simply plugs into their USB-C port, which lights up the button and in a few seconds is ready to mirror the screen. The button uses the direct video output from the notebook (just like a regular monitor), so it can do 4K UHD resolution right to the screen. Even better, if you have an interactive display like a BenQ Board in your meeting room, the presenter can control the slides on their notebook right from the screen using the touchback feature. Have an old notebook or a Blu-Ray player with HDMI instead of USB-C? No problem. The InstaShow WDC15 comes with both cables, so a simple swap enables them to present from their device without fishing around for an adapter. Result – meetings start faster and minimize wasted time.

Figure 2- The InstaShow button cables can be changed from USB-C to HDMI to minimize wasted time connecting to the screen or looking for adapters.

The AirMedia Receiver 3000 is more complicated. First, the guests must log into the wireless network the receiver is on, so they can type in the URL for the device. This creates a potential headache for IT staff, who need to make sure the network is protected. Then the system asks the presenter to download the appropriate AirMedia software client for Mac or Windows. For paranoid lawyers (and other folks) this can be a problem since many notebooks are locked down to keep their own systems safe from malware. Besides – who wants more one-time apps on their notebook? The presenter then opens the app, connects to the display and starts presenting. Does it work – yes. But it does have a lot more things that can go wrong that could derail your meeting.

To solve the concern of logging onto the network, installing an app, and configuring the presentation for the screen, Crestron offers the Air Connect Button that is you can configure to work with the receiver. This button works similarly to the InstaShow button enabling a presenter to plug in to a Mac or PC and present quickly without all the drama. Like the InstaShow button, it will do 4K UHD resolution but it’s hard to tell whether it will support touchback functionality on interactive displays. We looked in the manuals and couldn’t find anything, and touch back functionality is not listed on their specification sheet. Without touch back functionality, the presenter has to change their slides from their notebook – or have someone else do it while they are speaking.

The InstaShow is a secure system that uses a closed network and advanced 128-bit encryption from the button to ensure that each presentation transmission cannot be captured or recorded by unauthorized external or internal users. This approach does not require any application to be running on the laptop, or any direct connection to the enterprise network. The LAN port on the receiver is for configuration only and does not provide access to the corporate network for InstaShow users. Kenneth Buckler, a Washington D.C. cyber-security expert, did a thorough evaluation of the InstaShow that details how the product minimizes the risk to company networks that can be downloaded from the Caffeine Security website.  InstaShow is the only wireless presentation that has been certified under the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS 4.0) standard, indicating that it has been protected from known hacks and vulnerabilities.

Figure 3 - The InstaShow WDC15 is certified using the known hacks under the latest Common Vulnerability tests (CVSS 4.0) to keep your confidential information from prying eyes.

The Crestron AirMedia Receiver 3000 has the ability to use encryption to secure transmissions from the notebook using the AirMedia software and the receiver to protect the content from unauthorized viewing or recording. However, the encryption can be turned off by the administrator, which could create a risk if you’re streaming highly sensitive content. Also, because the hub is an active network device, its firmware and other security protections must be kept up to date over time to ensure proper protection of the network from vulnerabilities. Keeping the receiver up to date is especially important given that an earlier model of AirMedia had significant vulnerabilities that could be exploited against the network.  As of the writing of this article, there were no CVSS certificates for this product.